Reflections

Press Release 12/20/2015

The
Dutchess County Interfaith Council (DCIC) has, for more than 40 years,
been a place of education, understanding and inclusion of all faiths
and has engaged in a variety of programs and opportunities for
fostering openness and dialogue through the leadership and
participation of thousands of people from across the county over those
decades. In the present climate in the United States, we stand
united against divisive rhetoric from all sources, the use of one’s
religion as a tool for discrimination, and calls to close borders at
any level that apply solely to the followers of one faith.

On
December 17th, the DCIC convened in the Annual Meeting of the
Membership, with a large attendance of those in leadership and
representation of the houses of worship that comprise the
Council. The Membership affirmed the recent article in the
Sunday, December 13, 2015 Poughkeepsie Journal by Mr. Aziz M. Ahsan,
titled “Muslim-Americans denounce terrorism and those who misrepresent
their religion”, and the Letter to the Editor submitted in response to
the article by the DCIC Board President Tyler Jones:

Dear editor:

I
was impressed with the "Valley Views" article submitted by Aziz Ahsan
which was published Dec. 13 in the Journal. If any readers missed it,
it is worth finding Sunday's paper
and reading. There was history, theology, politics and frank
acknowledgment of our common concerns contained in the article.

I
applaud Mr. Ahsan also for his unapologetic stance regarding acts of
terror committed in the name of his religion. Needless to say,
Christians do not apologize every time a Christian terrorizes a
community. Neither should any person feel obliged to explain the misuse
of their faith by extremists.

As a Christian pastor I commend
Mr. Ahsan's article and I call on my fellow congregational leaders of
all faiths to expose their flocks to it. As president of the Dutchess
County Interfaith Council I intend to ask the board of directors and
the membership of the Interfaith Council to make public their
appreciation of our Muslim neighbors and to express respect for their
faith.

Let us check fear mongering that is directed
against any faith before it takes hold in our county. Let us together
insure a future of acceptance and respect for all religions.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Tyler Jones, PastorSt. Paul's Episcopal Church

We
call on all people of good will to join us in all ways possible, both
personally and corporately, to shine a bright light in these dark days
that will lead us to peace and justice together.

Dan Ward gave a tour of his beautiful sanctuary; Marion Schwartz, me and
Muriel’s friend Debbie stayed behind and talked about the Boston bombing
suspects. When the “tourists” returned, Pastor Ward opened the Circle with
an interfaith prayer.

Muriel introduced the Circle by asking each to make a 10 word comment about
their connection to the earth.

Muriel told a great story about “the people who ate the sky.” We enjoyed
it just as much as the children to whom Muriel tells this story always enjoy
it. The lesson is twofold in stressing the value of preserving the
environment while also avoiding the destructive nature of being greedy in our
day to day behavior.

Muriel’s story was “not from the Jewish tradition, but from Africa...although,
it could be from any one of our religious traditions.” A visitor from
South Africa was part of the Circle that evening.

Gail read a Mary Oliver poem titled: “Life Story.” She read it in memory
of a friend of hers and of Lorraine Hartin-Gelardi’s, Jo Renbeck, whose connection
to the earth was exquisite.

Mary Lou Koziol told about her experience doing a “cooking show” at the nursing
home where she worked for many years. It was Earth Day, but the correct
answer to the question, “What special day is it today?” was, “It’s Mary’s
birthday.” The 98 year old Mary’s response: “I don’t think
so.” Mary Lou went on to speak about the new Pope Francis and passed
around a card a friend had brought back from his installation in Rome.
Then she read St. Francis’ “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” prayer. It all fit
together like a glove on a hand.

Ralph Schwartz told a funny story about a woman in a kayak upon whose lap a sea
otter recently plopped itself. Ralph also made some other great comments from
life experiences of his own.

Waheeda Soomro also shared some animal experiences while living out in
LaGrange. She commented that a ground hog presented a special challenge
which her IBM husband. He tends strongly toward perfectionism, but
finally had to give in and give up even trying to get rid of the
creature. Gail asked Waheeda whether the Koran contains any verses about
ecology and the beauty of the earth. Waheeda was able to mention
several. One was particularly striking: “No hunting for pleasure...only
hunting for food when it was absolutely necessary.”

Lucy Jones, a United Methodist minister, resident now at The Grail in Cornwall,
told her gardening story. The deer were devastating the garden day after
day. One day when approaching the garden she found a fawn curled up in a
ball on the ground. Apparently Lucy had frightened the mother away. The
baby deer stood up shakily on its wobbly legs and leaned against Lucy. “I
forgive you” was all she could say. Lucy’s connection to all of nature
had been instantly refreshed.

Jill Auerbach, with the conservation commission, works trying to solve the
problems related to tick borne diseases, stressed the importance of biological
diversity. All species of animals are related in such a way as to deal
with such diseases, but when, for example, the red foxes are decimated by
coyotes, the balance is disrupted and disease can become rampant.

Several other participants shared reflections on nature’s beauty, on memories
of early Earth Days and on our very basic responsibility as earth
stewards. One of the most popular Christian hymns is “How Great Thou
Art”, a song about the awesome beauty of God’s Creation. We sang the
first two verses.

What
a pleasant and peaceful evening of stories in the Shrine Room at K.T.C.
Monastery. Ani Depa was a most gracious host as usual. The atmosphere
was very relaxed and for the first time during a visit to the
monastery, I actually had time to carefully look around and dwell on
the beauty of the room’s intricate decorations - including the ceiling.
Ani Depa explained a lot of the symbolism therein and thereon. Muriel
directed the sharing and began by asking each of us to share the name
of a woman in our life who was generously kind (March is Women's
History Month).There were lots of good stories too. The topic was
“Random Acts of Kindness.” Ani preferred “Spontaneous Acts of Kindness”
and she told a Zen Buddhist story about a wise monk’s encounter with a
thief who was trying to rob his home. The monk owned only his clothing,
his staff and his begging bowl. Confronting the thief when he returned
home after having received his food for the day through the charity of
the community, he offered his clothing to the thief, who left in
confusion at the graciousness of his victim. Gazing out his window at
the rising full moon, the monk prayed: “The thief left it behind - the
moon at the window.”Muriel told a story about the prisoners in a
concentration camp who spent time together preparing for the
celebration they would have when liberation came. They concentrated on
making little toys for the children among them out of scraps of
material they collected from among their meager belongings. We
were all delighted to learn about the confluence and similarities of
important Spring holidays in the Buddhist (the month of the miracle
moon), Hindu (Holi) and Jewish (Purim) faith traditions.
Several
touching personal stories were shared about experiences of acts of
kindness: Ed Koziol’s brother was kindly helped threefold through a
traumatic accident experience; Ani Depa remembered the kindness and
wisdom of her first grade teacher leading a class of sixty children on
Long Island decades ago. One little boy suffered bouts of crying during
class. The teacher posed his problem to the sixty. The solution came
form a thoughtful little girl - "Eddie, when you feel like you are
going to have to cry, reach up, take hold of your ear and turn off the
tears;" Tamara Gruszko’s father, one of 11 children, shared equally in
all that he had for the rest of his life with the last of his brothers
to leave Poland for Argentina where the rest of the family had already
settled. This man, the oldest of the brothers, came, not expecting to
stay, but was caught in the actual beginning of the war and needed to
stay although he had arrived without any wherewithal; Valerie described
the joy that a former employee of her 98 year old father brought to his
former boss recently by writing a birthday greeting which detailed his
appreciation for all the older man had done for him decades ago;Mary
Lou Koziol told about her daughter Karen, whose multiple handicaps
included deafness, poor eyesight and autism. Karen lived in a world
focused on her own needs, but one day, broke out of her shell to help a
fellow resident of Greystone who was ill. She slipped into his room one
of her precious stuffed animals. A kindness breakthrough.
The
refreshment time was lively and we enjoyed many special treats
including homemade Hamentashen by Muriel and chutney made from
coriander seeds by Kusum, to say nothing of the fresh pineapple and
strawberries.
It was exciting to see the shell of the new Temple
rising before our eyes. The stunning view of the Hudson River from the
new facility will include the graceful stupa prayer tower. The new
building has been long in the planning and prayers of that community.

DCIC in the Poughkeepsie Journal

Mosque's open house is a start

Editorial by John Penny,
November 18, 2010

They came together Sunday afternoon — Muslims,
Jews, Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Hindus and people of other faiths —
ready to confront an enormous challenge, but one this country can, and must,
overcome.

They sought a better understanding about their
respective religions, yes, but also to speak out about the pervasive
anti-Muslim sentiment that has swept the country.

And they did that, and much more, at the
Mid-Hudson Islamic Association's open house, at a mosque in the Town of
Wappinger.

For those who have never been in a mosque, it
had to be educational. For anyone hoping to see the level of civility and
public discourse raised in this country, it had to be uplifting.

There they were, this panel of mostly
religious leaders and a crowd of approximately 200, searching for ways to go
forward. Members of the Islamic Association were clearly appreciative: They had
to unfold dozens more chairs at the last minute, overwhelmed by the large
turnout.

Those in attendance heard from representatives
of the Dutchess Interfaith Council and religious leaders of various faiths.
Their messages carried universal themes of tolerance — and of the undeniable
belief that people of different faiths must learn to coexist.

They debunked myths and misconceptions. Yes,
tensions have risen over the question of whether a mosque should be built near
Ground Zero, and all sides should be heard. But, surely, stereotypes shouldn't
be perpetuated in the process.

In the war on terrorism, the battle isn't
between Muslims and non-Muslims. It's between radical forces of Islam that have
corrupted aspects of their religion, as other religions have witnessed their
religions corrupted from time to time over the centuries.

The media, too, took their share of criticism
for giving too much exposure to extremists, such as the Rev. Terry Jones, who
was threatening to burn copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, on the
anniversary of 9/11.

Yet it also is true that, in a free society,
all groups have a right to be heard, and moderate Muslims must speak up as
well.

It's imperative they find a receptive audience
when they do. It has been said that if radical Islam is the problem, moderate
Islam is the solution.

Reprehensibly, though, segments of our society
don't recognize the difference, don't see the distinction and, thus, are making
it harder for Muslims to say anything that would call attention to themselves.
Many are new, legal immigrants from a variety of countries still trying to
establish roots here, amid the backdrop of the war on terrorism and in the
aftermath of 9/11. Yet, ironically, Muslims have been in the United States for
more than 200 years — millions live here today, thousands serve loyally in the
U.S. armed forces.

Members of the Mid-Hudson Islamic Association
include people we know and see every day: health-care practitioners and
administrators, educators, financial planners, laborers, mothers and fathers,
sons and daughters.

On Sunday, at their mosque, they welcomed and
embraced a community wishing to show their support — and to learn more about
the Muslim faith.

It was a poignant way forward, for certain.

Interfaith gatherings allow us to see our
similarities

By Dugan Radwin •
November 20, 2010

It's rare that an imam, a rabbi and Christian
priests of various denominations are in the same room together. But last
Sunday, they and other religious leaders gathered at Masjid Al-Noor mosque in
Wappingers Falls for an open house and interfaith meeting. Attending the event
made me realize that however these groups differ, they also have a lot in
common — and how critical the dialogue between them is.

I had never been to a mosque before and wasn't
sure what to expect. I knew I would have to take off my shoes before entering —
so it was no surprise to see they had shelves for the shoes outside the main
entrance. Though it felt a little strange walking around in stocking feet, it
seemed to bring the diverse group together in some way.

After a question-and-answer session for the
nearly 200 visitors with the imam in the mosque's main prayer room, the women
left the men and went upstairs for a prayer — inviting female visitors to come
with them. I followed them to an area situated like a balcony above the main
prayer room where the men remained below. Standing with the other visitors, I
watched as the women stood side-by-side and knelt in response to words called
out by the imam.

Then the panel of speakers and visitors
gathered in the mosque's basement. Crayon-colored pictures of religious lessons
taped on some of the walls made it clear it was an area used to educate
children. In that respect, it reminded me of the basement in the church where I
had attended Sunday school.

The speakers included a young Muslim woman who
described growing up in the Midwest, where there were very few people of her
background, but she had nevertheless felt accepted by the community — as she
also had at the Catholic high school and college she attended. Yet since Sept.
11, she said the shift in sentiments made her concerned about the future of
Muslim integration in America.

Speakers from the Christian and Jewish
religions said they could relate to the difficulties faced by the Muslim
community because their people had faced similar opposition at various points,
whether it was prejudice against Catholic immigrants or anti-Semitism.

Eventually, the visitors were invited to
partake of an impressive spread of Middle Eastern snacks. One thing that
quickly bridges the gap between diverse groups is sharing good food, and it was
inspiring to watch everyone mingling.

Aside from open-house events like this one,
which will be repeated at other houses of worship in the months ahead, the
Dutchess County Interfaith Council also holds story circles to bring people
together. Hopefully, more activities like these will continue helping to
overcome prejudice and misunderstanding in our nation and community.

Reflection on a Busy Weekend-News & Events September 2010

Thursday
evening my wife, MaryLou and I were privileged
to attend the 17th Annual Evening by the Hudson to benefit Hudson
River Housing. This event is always an enjoyable way to spend an evening with
good food, drink, friends and fellowship. And this year was no exception.During the evening we were treated to several
beautiful music selections performed by the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Youth
Choir, directed by Mrs Nina Ricci. The featured speaker was Francis Adams, a
young man who came to America from his home in Africa when he was a boy.
Francis lived with his adopted father in Hyde Park and attended Roosevelt High
School until his father tragically passed away. Francis was left homeless with
no one to turn to until he found River Haven shelter. They provided him with a
new home and encouraged him to further his education. He attended Dutchess
Community College and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in biology.At present, Francis is preparing to enter
premed school. He is truly a testimony to the fine work of everyone at Hudson
River Housing

Friday evening, Vassar College was the setting for a
wonderful night of music sponsored by the Vassar Haiti Project and presented by
Les Petits Chanteurs, a 30 voice boy’s choir from the Holy Trinity Music School
in Port au Prince, Haiti. The school, which provides music training to over
1000 Haitian children, was totally destroyed by the earthquake. We were
uplifted by the outstanding music performed by these young men and inspired by
the courage and human spirit to rise above the tragedy in their homeland. Thank
you to Andrew and Lila Meade the co founders of the VHP for arranging this
beautiful event.

Saturday morning, up bright and early and on my way to the
World Peace Sanctuary in Wassaic, NY for the annual
Peace Prayer Day dedicated to offering prayers for peace among all peoples.The event begins with prayers for the tribes
of Native Americans, followed by the 50 states and ending with all the other
nations of the world.Our own Board
President, Theresa Giovanniello carried the flag of Pakistan during the Flag
ceremony. In addition we were treated to music from many countries as well as
traditional Japanese, Nepalese and Hawaiian dancers. The finale of the
afternoon, which truly touched everyone, was the release of hundreds of Monarch
butterflies; American Indians believe if you make a wish and then release a
butterfly it will take your wish to God. Many thanks to Theresa for joining me
at the DCIC table from 11 AM until 4 PM.

In reflecting back over these days, I give thanks to God
for the many blessings he has provided and for allowing me the opportunities to
be at this place in my life. It is only through His goodness that I am able to
enjoy these wonderful experiences.

On "A Potpourri of Stories"-June 2010

Our former Executive Director, Rev. Gail Burger
has
given us her reflection on the June 2010 Story Circle held at Linwood Spiritual Center.

Lorraine made the connection - we’ve always
called this last Interfaith Story Circle of the Season, “A Potpourri of
Stories,” but I’ve never connected the “Pot Luck” supper which precedes it with
the “Pot Luck” collection of stories. Last evening both the Supper and the
Stories were various and delicious.

Two of the twenty-five attendees who
made their way to the beautiful Linwood Spiritual Center on Mill Road in
Rhinebeck were Great-Grandmothers - that is, another two decades older and wiser
than this Grandmother happens to be. One was Mabel, an Indian woman who is a
member of the Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in Rhinebeck and the other was
Marguerite, a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Poughkeepsie. The other
twenty-three of us were: two Baha’i’s, two Lutherans, two Episcopalians, two
Presbyterians, one Conservative Jew, three Hindus, one Unitarian Universalist,
seven Roman Catholics and three guests from the Albany Area Story Circle. What
a great group. The tri-folds the women from Albany brought are excellent - one
is about their Story Circles and the other is about their Youth Program,
“Children at the Well.” Paula, the woman who started the youth program will
talk with Gwen Higgins, our current Board Member who is interested in and well
equipped to organize a Youth Event. Neerjah declared that it was love
that had gathered us together. That was the by-line of the Interfaith Council
in past years - “Love Has Gathered Us Together.” She told a story about an
Indian Guru, his student and a scorpion. The teacher, seeing the scorpion in
the river, reached down and scooped him out onto dry land. In the process, the
scorpion stung him. This scene was repeated at least two more times before the
student, overcome with frustration, tried to slam a rock onto the scorpion to
kill it. The teacher rebuked him saying that it was the scorpion’s work to
sting as it was the student’s work to remain peaceful. Once again, the teacher
reached into the water to rescue the insect. This time, the insect allowed him
to scoop it out onto the land; the example of the consistent behavior of the
teacher was not lost on the beast.There were so many other wonderful
stories: Lorraine’s about the king’s choice of his youngest daughter to succeed
him in power because of her compassion for all of the people; Muriel’s tale
about King Solomon’s learning a lesson in humility from an ant; Mary’s wedding
story about the two very different trees who managed a long time fast
friendship; a guest’s Rabbi Hillel story about telling the whole of the Torah
while standing on one foot; Teresa’s personal account of an encounter with a
little bird in the Holy Land recently; Gert, the founder of the Albany Area
Story Circle’s recounting of her favorite story- the one about life’s
delivering to us blessings which sometimes have misfortune as their unintended
consequence and misfortunes which sometimes have blessings as their unintended
consequence. All these and more were topped off by a musical story performance
by Muriel and Ed - the one they did at the Interfaith Music Festival this past
Sunday at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.

A warm experience was had
by all on a lovely, though chilly, June evening looking out over the
Hudson.

DCIC
President Back From Israel - News & Events May 2010

DCIC President of the Board Theresa Giovanniello shares her reflections
on her trip to Israel:

Last month I had the opportunity to
travel to Israel with my mother. While there I often
meditated on the
words of our Spiritual Director, Fr. Peter Gillen who shared these
thoughts
with us prior to our journey:

"The people of the Holy
Land, all of them, are the 'living stones' through which we come in
contact
with the Gospel today. People of different origins,
languages, religions,
all are used by God in His self revelation. Through them, we
come to know
our history and origins and also experience the struggles of living
according
to the 'Word' today."

For the
group which was predominantly Christian it opened
our eyes to the diversity we would have before us in the beautiful
country that
is Israel. From having a meal at a Druze family restaurant, to visiting
Masada, The
Church of All Nations, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, The Western Wall,
the
beautiful Baha'i Gardens, the Dome of the Rock and the many minarets
which rose
up before us, we were in constant awe of the wondrous ways God reveals
himself
through his people.

Throughout
the experience I was reminded of how blessed I am
to be a part of the work of Dutchess County Interfaith Council and to
continuously have the opportunity to meet all of you who take part in
our
faith-filled events. Your involvement and dedication to DCIC efforts
help to
reveal God in our lives.
Together
we share blessings and bring blessings
to others.

As we
begin
planning our Fall CROP Walk to
fight hunger locally and around the world I hope you will consider
volunteering. For now, I look forward to seeing you at ourInterfaith
Music Festival.